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Inside the Exotic Butterfly Trade

June 10, 2024

Exotic butterflies are a coveted commodity. Every year, more than 100,000 butterflies are shipped all over the world and sold as collector's items. As a result, some species are almost extinct.

https://p.dw.com/p/4g0dZ
Inside the Exotic Butterfly Trade
Collectors are prepared to pay high sums for rare species.Image: TVF

This film is a piece of investigative journalism that shows how the trade in exotic butterflies works worldwide. It is set in Indonesia, home to more than 2,000 butterfly species.

Inside the Exotic Butterfly Trade
Collector at an auction.Image: TVF

Here, hunters mainly catch rare specimens to sell. Buyers in Japan, for example, pay thousands of dollars for them. Conservationists in Indonesia are trying to combat this practice to preserve biodiversity.

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THU 20.06.2024 – 01:15 UTC
THU 20.06.2024 – 04:15 UTC
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